Reading Comprehension Test 1參考答案

1.Correct Answer: B

Explanation:

When we look back to line 7, we read, "The professional schoolmaster was a match for both of them, and has almost managed to make the understanding of chemical reactions as dull and as dogmatic an affair as the reading of Virgil's Aeneid."

This tells us that the schoolmaster has made learning dull. And so we eliminate answers C and E which imply he has done something good.

But to be sure of the answer we should also read the previous sentences. We learn that, "The pioneers of the teaching of science imagined that its introduction into education would remove the conventionality, artificiality, and backward-lookingness which were characteristic of classical studies......" This section tells us that other people tried to alter the nature of education, but the "professional schoolmaster was a match for both of them". He therefore prevented (thwarted) these attempts, and the answer is B.

2.Correct Answer: E

Explanation:

To find the attitude, try asking yourself whether the author is positive, negative or neutral to the subject. Then look for the evidence. Here, it is obvious that he thinks that nothing very valuable is learned in school about science and scientific method. He is therefore negative. Eliminate the neutral (A and B) words, and the positive (C), and then decide between D and E. He seems to be expressing contempt rather than mocking. And so E is the best choice.

3.Correct Answer: B

Explanation:

Go back to the text and find a word of your own to replace ‘palpably’ before you even look at the choices. We read, "As to the learning of scientific method, the whole thing is palpably a farce." Here, I could substitute ‘obviously’ or ‘clearly’. As it happens, one of the words is there in the choices. (B). If it had not been there, there would have been something sufficiently similar to make a choice.

4.Correct Answer: E

Explanation:

Be careful on ‘except’ questions. You are looking for something the author does not do.

He does blame poor teaching, (lines 7-10), exams (line 26), social and education systems (line 36), lack of direct experience (lines 34-38), but he never blames the students. Hence answer E.

5.Correct Answer: C

Explanation:

This is an ‘inference’ question. We need to find out what the author’s main complaint is. This concern of the author will tells us what he would like to see. From lines 11 to 18 in particular we learn that he is especially interested in whether a student can apply his or her knowledge. So, we conclude that answer C is best.

6.Correct Answer: C

Explanation:

Astrology is mentioned as a ‘quackery’. Quackery is something that claims to be true but is actually based on falsity. He implies that people are fooled by astrology, but he also implies that there are other more ‘dangerous’ ideas. So we eliminate A, B and D. It is not likely that astrology is a ‘failure of science’, but it is something that scientists would not approve of. Hence answer C.

7.Correct Answer: E

Explanation:

This is an ‘except’ question. Be careful! You are looking for something that cannot be inferred from the text. We can find evidence that the author finds reactions interesting (line 9), and that children have learnt some facts (beginning of the second paragraph), and that he thinks teachers are strict (line 10 and part of paragraph 2). We can also infer from the use of the phrase ‘privileged members’ (line 18) that he believes that not all received secondary education. But we find that he thinks it is hard to learn scientific method- ‘The only way of learning the method of science is the long and bitter way of personal experience". And so we choose E.